"In a brisk online and live auction at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Baltimore, the best of a pristine collection filled with turn-of-the-century stars such as Honus Wagner and Cy Young fetched a combined $566,132. ...

"Family member Karla Hench, who helped find the cards, said the cards brought 'fantastic prices and we're very excited that we can all share in this find. It's like a gift from our grandfather to keep passing on.' "

Thirty-seven of the 700 or so cards have been sold so far. By the time they're all sold, experts say, Hench and 19 relatives will likely have collected about $3 million (the auction house will get a fee, of course).

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